Food, Wine and Travel Blog

What could be more evocative of the famed Italian Dolce Vita than sipping cocktails under an open summer sky, reveling in the magic of one of the world’s greatest cities – Rome? The Italian capital, of course, hardly needs an introduction. This vibrant and historic city is as culturally rich and architecturally stunning as they […]

Insiders Guide to Truffles in Italy- By Simona Piccinelli, Italy Specialist Truffles are a gourmet delicacy, one of the most expensive and desired in the world. Foodies swoon over them, international top chefs search them out and bid for them at auction, and truffles are without a doubt one of the priciest and most precious […]

Italy has a unique place amongst European nations in Jewish history. The legacy of Jewish culture in Italy spans over two thousand years – from the early recorded Roman period. The country contains some of the oldest communities of Jewish citizens in Europe – over the centuries, Jewish communities in Italy have absorbed and welcomed […]

Famous Italian Pasta Dishes by Nancy O’Neill Just the thought of pasta makes the mouth water! There are so many sizes, varieties, and sauces that it truly is challenging to choose just 10. It would seem that the widely held belief that Marco Polo brought pasta back to Italy from China is more myth than […]

The 10 Best Female Chefs in Northern Italy- Hot List by Ivano Martignetti When I first started to reflect on this topic, I decided to ask my best friends if they had any idea. Most of them, spontaneously, answered it was their mother or their grandmother. Now, this is funny and interesting at the same […]

10 Iconic Italian Cocktails by Ivano Martignetti Mastroianni’s class, Sean Connery’s style, Humphrey Bogart’s charm- these icons always seemed to look their best at the bar counter, where an elegant barman served impeccable cocktails in Martini glasses or in pure crystal tumblers. A world away from the tacky barmen and plastic glasses that we sometimes […]

Love Italian Cooking? Want to dedicate yourself to making Italian recipes from scratch, and need a list of the essential kitchen “musts” for gadgets and ingredients? Here is our essential list, and readers: please send in your tips and advice so we can make the list even more complete! Essential Ingredients & Gadgets for Italian […]

30 of 300: A short glossary of Italian pasta by Martina Hemm Though pasta has only been present in European kitchens for the past 200 years, Italy has long nourished an ancient noodle culture. Arab merchants were the first to carry itria, the predecessor of modern Italian pasta, from the faraway Asian continent to the […]

A quick guide to the Val d’ Orcia for food and wine lovers: The Val d ‘ Orcia is quintessential Tuscany and utterly romantic.  Expect dreamy hills studded with cypress trees and ancient farmhouses; a smattering of gorgeous art cities and medieval towns in easy reach (Siena, Pienza, San Quirico D’ Orcia, Montepulciano, Montalcino); world-class […]

It’s January, it’s cold and miserable and you don’t feel like cooking tonight… PIZZA night! A pizza always hits the spot, but what to drink with it? Turn a simple Pizza night into a food and wine adventure with these fun pizza/wine pairing suggestions: Margherita Pizza Wine Pairing: Robust red from Puglia like Neprica (Tormaresca) […]

By Simona Piccinelli, Italian wine specialist The 18th edition of the Merano International Wine Festival & Culinaria last month, crowned Merano as “the Italian capital of gastronomic excellence“. The Kurhaus – where the wine tastings took place –  opened its doors to wine lovers, gourmet and trade on Saturday November 7th, for 3 days. In […]

Are you thinking of popping the question and can’t think of where to do it or how to make it special? Do you want to organize the time of her life and cherish the memories of your proposal day forever? Are you looking for a unique, incomparable, ultra-romantic, and creative wedding proposal idea? Well, you […]